AVATAR 2 Unlikely to Make Its 2014 Release Date

In October 2010, we reported that Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 would be shot back-to-back, and Fox had scheduled the movies for December 2014 and December 2015, respectively. In June 2011, writer-director James Cameron commented that the movies will be from one script, which would make the franchise “not really a trilogy, but just an overall character arc.” But during the recent press rounds for Titanic 3D, producer Jon Landau said it was unlikely that they’ll be able to make the 2014 release date for Avatar 2. He notes that they’re “taking the time to get it right”, and while that sounds like standard producer-speak, he does reminds us that Titanic was originally scheduled for a summer 1997 release, but was pushed back to December so Cameron would have more time to work on the effects.

Hit the jump for more. Titanic 3D opens on Friday.

Speaking to Empire, Landau provides some common sense that some studios would do well to learn:

Movies make release dates; release dates don’t make movies.

Of course, James Cameron has the freedom to work at his own leisure. Cameron can take the time to head down to the bottom of the sea, where there were reportedly no accusations, just friendly crustaceans.

However, pre-production is still moving on Avatar 2, specifically on the underwater sequences. Special effects company WETA is currently at work on “underwater performance-capture.” Landau says the best way to look at the underwater sequences in the movie will be like the floating mountains in Avatar. “It’s going to be a place we go to,” says Landau, “leave and come back to.”

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